


Count To Ten

by pennedbycat



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Behind the Scenes, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Let Me Be In Denial, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennedbycat/pseuds/pennedbycat
Summary: Even house leaders need a little support every now and again. Claude and Edelgard may have not always gotten along, but they took these encounters with a grain of salt. Who knows? Maybe it will end up working in their favor, when everything was said and done.Or: support conversations between Edelgard and Claude, C-A (because I cannot control myself).CH 3 HAS BEEN REWRITTEN
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. C-Support

**Author's Note:**

> I am absolutely obsessed with this pairing. It makes me super duper depressed that there are no support conversations with them, so I decided to make my own. Obviously this is going to be AU, so buckle on up. I also may or may not be working on more fic after this one is finished. 
> 
> Sound out below. Did you like the C-support? D'ya want more?

During the day, Garreg Mach was loud. Students and faculty alike bustling around, chattering away with one another without a care in the world. During the evening, however, it was quite the opposite. It was eerily quiet. Perhaps that was why there were rumors passed around from student to student about the ghosts that roam the halls at night. Maybe it was a scare tactic. Maybe it was real. But one thing was for sure, the usually busy corridors were desolate this time of night. 

Edelgard glanced to the clock that hung above her bed, groaning softly to herself. Two AM, and here she was wide awake. Of course, she would still be sleeping had it not been for her routine nightmares waking her up. The Hresvelg heir had been trying to get back to sleep for well over an hour now and-- honestly, it didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon. She swung her legs over the bed and planted her feet on the floor, deciding that it was probably time to get some fresh air. El always defaulted to slipping outside when all else failed and she couldn't sleep. Sometimes she just wandered around aimlessly. Sometimes she sat in the grass and stared at the stars, it all just depended on how she was feeling. And sometimes, she would run into a classmate of hers. The students of Garreg Mach retired to their chambers hours ago, but insomnia got the best of everyone, it seemed.

She left her room, closing the door behind her so that anyone passing by would just assume that she was asleep just like the rest of the students. Goddess knows--- if Professor Byleth happened to find her out of bed at this time of night, she would certainly have something to say about it. Edelgard passed by the striped tabby cat that likes to hang outside of her dorm room, and of course she had to come following behind her, weaving herself between the blonde's legs. 

"No, I'm sorry but I don't have any food for you this time," El murmured down to the cat, who was still hot on her heels. This was a daily occurrence. This cat absolutely adored Edelgard and hung outside of her room-- all because of the _one_ time she decided to sneak some food from the dining hall to her. Now it would appear that the two were thicker than thieves. Wherever she went, the cat was always following behind her.

Peaches kept close to her favorite human, meowing the entire way through the monastery. Edelgard was sure that someone was going to wake up and find her out here, but oh well. She made her way out to the courtyard, deciding to plop down on the grass. She enjoyed coming out here because it was far enough away from the dorms that she could just keep to herself. It was only when she was wandering around that she would run into any of her fellow classmates. 

White hair billowed out on the greenery as Edelgard stared up at the night sky, Peaches stopping only when she was sitting on her favorite human's hair. El only grumbled for a moment, having to adjust to the weight on her head. Lilac eyes closed as she took in the sounds of the night. It was therapeutic. No one there to chat her ear off. No one there to remind her of her duties. It was just Edelgard and her own thoughts (which, could be scary sometimes, mind you-- but tonight, it was just fine). 

That was--- until someone interrupted her. A voice came from behind her and Edelgard shot upright and turned to see who had the gall to be up at such an ungodly manner. At least _she_ had an excuse. 

Her jaw clenched a little tighter when she saw it was none other than Claude, sparing her his best grin. His hands were held behind his head, feeding more into his innocent façade. 

"Claude...? Just what are you doing up so late? And _why_ are you here of all places?"

The monastery was large; he could be anywhere, but he chose to be within the vicinity of her. 

"Relax your _majesty_ ," he teased, giving her his best mock bow, hands dropping to his sides after. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood."

Edelgard rolled her eyes, already done with this conversation. "Great, now... go be in the neighborhood elsewhere." She waved him off, going to close her eyes again. 

"Actually, that's... not what I had in mind," Claude announced, going to join her on the grass and propping his arms behind his head.

El cracked one eye open, watching as the other house leader flopped down beside her, a soft thud sounding as he did so. "And what _did_ you have in mind?" 

"I uh---" his expression turned blank for a moment, obviously pondering something in his head. Green eyes found purple ones as he continued, "I heard some... screaming coming from your room."

Edelgard blanched at the mere mention of someone else hearing her screaming. So, who _else_ heard her? "I see," she went to sit up, turning her back to Claude. Peaches stared at him for a moment before padding over to Edelgard's lap and kneading it softly. "I suppose you have it all figured out... that I have nightmares."

"Nightmares? Yikes. Yeah--- I thought as much. Initially, I thought you might be screaming for some _other_ reasons--" now it was his turn to blanch when she glared at him over her shoulder-- "jeez, it's a joke. Lighten up, Princess."

She scoffed as she often did when Claude used her title against her like that. He was the only one who had the nerve to call her that just to spite her. He seemed to enjoy getting under her skin just a little too much. "Why are you _here_ , Claude?" She asked again, her voice dripping with displeasure. 

The Golden Deer leader shrugged before rising to his full height. "I heard someone down the hall screaming... I was already awake, so I thought I would check things out. Then I found out where it was coming from, so I stuck around to make sure everything was okay." Claude had every intention on going in there, thinking that she might be in danger, but something gave him pause. And now here they were. "You quieted down after a minute. Otherwise, I probably would have gone in to check on you." He was murmuring the last bit, almost as if he didn't want to admit it aloud. 

Edelgard fought the redness that was creeping across her cheeks and nose. She was glad that he didn't cause such a scene. That probably would have woken up all of the second floor. "I--- thank you. But there is no need for such heroics. Dreams are only that-- dreams." 

"Well... it sounded pretty damn serious to me," he didn't turn around to look back at her as he spoke, but he did glance up at the stars. The two didn't spend much time together, but when they did, Claude had to admit that there was something about Edelgard that he just couldn't shake. And he wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing or not. "...still, at least you're okay." Finally, he decided to glance back over at the Black Eagles leader before he turned to leave, "goodnight, Edelgard," he called over his shoulder as he walked away. 

He was leaving, and Edelgard felt the urge to call him back for... whatever reason. She wasn't entirely sure why. "Hey, Claude?" Her voice was small, almost uncertain.

"Yeah?" Claude turned around to face her, his trademark smirk in place again. Edelgard hated how her heart fluttered in her chest just now. He had that effect on her and she didn't like it one bit. Truth be told, though, she had the same effect on him. The Golden Deer just hid behind his jokes in retaliation. 

"You know why I'm awake. So... why are you?" She asked, her usual confidence returning in her voice. 

He tossed her a wink, "don't kid yourself, princess. You're not the only one who has bad dreams, you know."

And it was from that moment onward that the two made the assumption that maybe they had more in common than the other realized. They started to speak much more often to one another. Between classes. At meal time. During free time. They developed this odd friendship of one-upping each other and playful jabs. Gossip went around the monastery that they were something more than friends. Students were even placing bets. When either of them were flat out asked if they were dating, they'd act disgusted at the notion. But there was always something underlying there. Something that surely made them question their answer's authenticity. 


	2. B-Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been several months since Edelgard and Claude started to spend more time together, getting closer by the day. But each of them still had their own secrets that they hadn't dared to utter to the other. Sooner or later, things would come to light. El just wasn't quite ready for... this secret to come out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two because I cannot help myself. I am a s u c k e r for this pairing. Also, if anyone has any one-shot requests, feel free to reach out to me on my tumblr @pennedbycat. Enjoy!

Every Sunday, students were given free reign for the entirety of the day. No class, no seminars, even the cafeteria stayed open later than usual. Edelgard, like every other student, looked forward to this day. For her, there was a specific reason behind this-- and said reason happened to be waving at her with a boyish grin in place. She sat under a tree-- their tree, if she were being honest. They would always gather here every Sunday and enjoy their time with no responsibilities (it had taken El some time to be able to properly relax, without thinking about what all she needed to accomplish in the coming week, but Claude had hammered it in her head time and time again, that there was nothing wrong with taking a day to yourself).

"Sorry I'm late," he began as he approached, holding something behind his back. "Had to make a pitstop."

"A pitstop?" Edelgard countered, showing interest in her tone as well as the expression written across her face. 

Claude let out a hearty chuckle as he filled the gap between them and took his usual spot beside her. His companion thought it was a little odd that-- even after that, he was still leaning closer, his hand coming from behind his back to tuck something behind her ear.

The eagle flinched for a moment, prompting the deer to shoot her an apologetic look. 

"I should've warned you before getting in your personal space like that," Claude murmured, putting more space between them now. 

She shook her head, "no, it's quite all right. I just-- I'm not used to having someone so close--" Edelgard spoke, her eyes trained on his for a moment before reaching up to grab what her classmate had put behind her ear. Gloved hands cradled a single carnation. It was beautiful, but Edelgard couldn't quite figure out _why_ Claude had given this to her of all people. And was it purely coincidental that it was her favorite flower? How could he have known? "Claude... what is this?" Lilac eyes traveled to meet his emerald ones, confusion written all over her face. 

"Well... this is what they call a flower, Edelgard," he teased. What he would really like to do was reach over and put it back in her hair-- just to have an excuse to touch her again, but he refrained, not wanting to startle her all over again. Instead, he just leaned his head against the tree, an elbow propped up on his knee as he rose it to his chest. The carnation matched her eyes, Claude noted. That was exactly why he chose that color for her.

"You don't say?" Edelgard rolled her eyes in reply. "Why are you _giving_ me this flower?" She tried again. She gripped the carnation in question just a little tighter, but still in fear of squeezing it too tight. She didn't want it to wilt before she got the chance to admire it more. 

"Do you remember the night I found you out in the courtyard?" He asked her. This gained her full attention now, her hand carefully lowering to her lap now. A mere nod was the only ounce of confirmation Edelgard gave him, but he continued nonetheless. "I... saw someone that needed a friend. Someone that-- like a flower, just needed a little bit of love so that they could grow to their full potential." Damn, that sounded far less cornier in his head. Claude noted his companion's eyes grow wide in surprise before blinking a good few times, obviously replaying what he just said to her over and over in her head.

A blush dusted across Edelgard's cheeks as she dipped her head for a moment, going to put the carnation back where it had been... where it almost felt like it belonged, now. "You have quite a way with words. But--- thank you. Carnations are my favorite flower."

"I--- uh. I already knew that," Claude stammered, his own cheeks turning a tinge red in response. The eagle gave him a questioning glance in return. "I-- may have asked Dorothea for a list of a few of your favorite things."

Ah, now it all made sense. She wondered why her fellow eagle had played twenty questions with her in class one day. But, Dorothea was one of her dearest friends, so of course it didn't bother her to play along. It _also_ made sense why she had mentioned something about a secret admirer. El was quiet for the longest moment, just watching Claude watching her. The silence between them was becoming unbearable. Finally, the blonde moved to tuck her head beneath his chin. There was so much wrong in this. Especially considering what she _had_ to do, to him, to their friends. But she hoped that he would forgive her... one day. She shouldn't be so selfish. She was slowly falling for Claude. And yet... she was just welcoming it with open arms. Everything in her being was telling her no, but she couldn't listen. She didn't want to listen.

Claude watched as Edelgard made herself comfy on him. And he made a mental note of everything in this moment. The soft aroma of the carnation being so close to his nose. How her hair was beginning to tickle as it brushed across his skin. How _nice_ it was to have her, especially as his arm came around her waist, keeping her as close as he possibly could. Rumors be damned (and there would be plenty, if anyone came by to see this) the deer could care less what his classmates and instructors had to say about the manner. Imagine his parents' surprise if they ever found out that he was falling in love with the Imperial princess. He'd give her anything she needed. This wasn't the first time that he wondered could he truly bring peace to Fodlan and Almyra with her by his side?

o-o-o

Edelgard let out one of the loudest shrieks that Claude had ever heard coming from her as she scurried over to grab her trusty axe, "where did that... _wretched_ thing go?" She sounded disgusted and frightened at the same time, darting her eyes across the floor.

"Woah, where did _what_ thing go?" the deer was just as confused as he sounded, rubbing his eyes. The last thing that he remembered, he was dozing off on Edelgard's bed. She was reading him something, and that often _did_ put him to sleep. El had every intention on letting him sleep as curfew hadn't started yet, but the vermin that inhabited the monastery had other plans. Claude got up, watching her carefully.

Edelgard cut her eyes over at him, face turning red in embarrassment. "It's... it's a rat."

His face fell, head tilting at her. There was the smallest hint of a smirk at his lips. "A what?"

The blonde began to scoff at his reaction. "You can just _leave_ if you are going to make fun of me, Claude," she spoke, sounding exasperated.

He shook his head, stifling a laugh. He faked a cough and tried his best to school his face. "Sorry, sorry. Rats freak you out that bad, huh?" The deer came closer and took the axe from Edelgard's grasp, propping it back up against the wall. Something told him that this was far more than your traditional irrational fear, but something also told him not to pry too hard. He had worked hard enough for her to put her walls down for him. The last thing he needed was for them to come building back up.

"I should let the cat in. She's pretty good at hunting these things," she whispered, averting Claude's gaze as she went to her door and let Peaches come strutting in. It wasn't long before she was hot on the rat's trail. 

"Wanna go for a walk?" He asked her, sensing her need to be anywhere but here right about now. 

A sigh escaped Edelgard's lips as she took hold of Claude's hand, leading them out of her room. They walked hand-in-hand (well, gloved hand-in hand-- but he figured that, eventually, that would be explained too) out to the courtyard that started it all. The sun was starting to set and it was her who sat down in the grass first, still holding onto her companion's hand for dear life. He joined her, but didn't say a word. Just let her glance down at their entwined fingers. After a few moments of hesitation, the deer placed his free hand on her back, fingers gliding up and down in a soothing motion. 

"I never wanted you to see me like that," she finally spoke, eyes still downcast. The tone in her voice told Riegan everything he needed to know. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple. She wasn't flinching away from him anymore. That had to be a good sign.

"Like what? I seem to have gotten amnesia of the past twenty minutes." He sent her a tiny wink, deciding to drop his hand from her back. The soft chuckle he got in return made his smile return. Before long, Edelgard was back to curling up in Claude's arms. _We shouldn't be doing this_. She squashed that thought as quick as it came and watched the sun go down together. That was a problem for another day.


	3. A-Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard and Claude reunite after five long years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter rewrite! I wasn't really fond of what I wrote for my A-support chapter initially, but I have spent some time RP'ing on twitter and have some ideas floating about now. Hope you guys enjoy it! This is actually considered post-game, chronologically speaking.

**Year 1190**

The war was over, and King Dimitri ruled over Fodlan. The empire had been demolished in the war, leaving Edelgard and all who supported her to retreat in their defeat. The former empress had went into hiding after that, her pride shattered. All that she had sacrificed. All she had done to build a better tomorrow had been for nothing. No one knew where she was, not even her retainer Hubert. He had tried for years after the war to find her, but she had... vanished. She vowed that she would live the rest of her days out in seclusion. That way no one would ever be hurt again, not by her hands. Edelgard made her new home up in the mountains, her wyvern being her only company.

She spent five years alone, having no actual human contact, other than the few times she would head into town to get supplies. She would often wear a heavy cloak in those cases, just to be on the safe side in case she ran into someone she knew. But-- honestly, no one would even recognize her any more. Her second crest had done much more than cut her lifespan in half. The former empress would get very sick from time to time. Some days she was able to power through it, but other days would leave her bedridden. Even during her days at the monastery, she had days where she was really sick. But she had always played it off, as if it was just a regular cold. No one ever seemed to pry, even if it appeared she got a cold more often than most. Now, however, Edelgard was merely a shell of the woman she once was. She appeared to be on death's door. Her usual pale skin was almost grey. Purple eyes devoid of any light. And her normal petite frame was rail-thin. She looked terrible. No one would recognize her, but she still disguised herself all the same. (Plus, that saved her from getting looks-- she would probably be forced to seek medical attention, if she had showed up in her regular attire). 

Edelgard, as morbid as it sounded, was ready to let this illness take her. She felt that it was what she deserved. Hresvelg was so guilt-ridden for what she had done. All the blood she had shed. She felt as though a long, miserable death such as this was just what karma had in store for her. She didn't want to be found. Didn't want to be saved. But her wyvern, Desmond, had other plans. Having raised him from a baby, he was extremely close with her. Edelgard was the mother he never had. Des was born the runt, being cast aside by his kin. Had it not been for _her_ , he wouldn't have survived. And now it was very clear to him that she may not survive. He spent many of his days being extremely restless, flying around to see if he could get any kind of help. He was in distress, sensing his human mother in such distress. Edelgard hadn't been aware of this, but there was someone who was looking for her. Someone who only needed seeing Desmond flying high to point him in the right direction. 

o-o-o

Claude had returned to Fodlan for the millennium festival, hoping to catch up with his old classmates and see what had changed in the past five years. He had become the King of Almyra after the events of the war, only paying visits to Fodlan every now and then when he had the time. Though he was looking forward to seeing his old friends again, his mind often wandered back to one person in particular. The one person whose betrayal had hurt him far more than anyone else. Edelgard should have been a distant memory, but he was well aware that a part of him had never truly stopped loving her. No one had so much as uttered her name in the past five years, and yet she was still on his mind. He even dreamt of her from time to time. It was always the same dream. He could see her, deathly pale and sweaty as she tossed and turned on what looked like a couch. His vision in the dream was always so hazy, and he just knew that he was looking for her. But it never did change the outcome.

He had only just set foot at the monastery when his own wyvern, Mila started to act a bit strange. Claude put a hand on her snout to still her, but something was still clearly wrong. She nudged him again and again before ducked her head down, in her attempts to tell him that there was something he needed to see. The king, puzzled as ever, climbed back on Mila and let her take off into the sky once more. It didn't take him long to see what was going on. But... he really didn't believe what he was seeing. There was another wyvern in the skies, crying loud enough to echo around it. Claude recognized that wyvern all too well. He was there when Edelgard took the runt away from the pack, having been the one to tell her that one of the wyverns at the stables needed to be separated and raised on his own. El had confided in him that she felt inclined to do so, knowing how lonely it would be for him to be without his family. She knew what that was like, and it only made her want to take care of the runt even more.

 _What_ was Desmond doing here? And where was Edelgard? Worry pooled low in his belly, burning. He hurried Mila along to catch up with the smaller wyvern. (He was about half the size of a full-grown wyvern, never actually reaching maturity). Des seemed to recognize Claude immediately. He let out a high-pitched squeal, going to fly in circles around him. Mila huffed and Desmond came to a stop, as if the two were communicating in their own language.

Something was wrong, and Almyra's king could feel it. Maybe his dreams hadn't been just some weird coincidence, after all. "What's wrong?" he finally broke the silence. The smaller reptile fixed his gaze onto Claude for a moment just before taking off. Mila must have known what to do, because she took off after him. It wasn't long before they found themselves in front of a log cabin up in the mountains. The cold cut right through Claude as he stepped off his wyvern. His instincts were telling him to rush into that house. Despite everything that had happened between them, he was finding it harder to ignore how much he still cared about Edelgard. He stilled himself for a moment before heading over to the door. Raising a balled fist to it, he knocked twice. 

On the other side of the door, Edelgard nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone knocking. She quickly tried to calm herself down. Maybe someone was lost. Though her heart was hammering in her chest, she rose from the couch and headed to the door. It took her a minute to get there. Her body was so weak she had to grip onto something as she walked. Nothing could prepare her for who waited for her outside. As she opened the door, her eyes widened as Claude turned around to face her. She could see Desmond and Mila behind him.

"...Claude...?" her voice was so quiet, having to clear her throat before she continued, "what are you---"

" _What_ happened to you?" Claude started. "You know what? That doesn't really matter right now. You need to see a doctor." His eyes took her in from head to toe. She looked like she could barely stand on her own, if her grip on the doorframe was any indication.

"No--" she started to say, before she was cut off by her former partner grabbing her, tucking her under his arm. 

"I wasn't asking, Edelgard." He said her name with an air of exasperation. What was wrong with her? Where had she been all this time? Had he only found her earlier... maybe all of this could have been avoided.

o-o-o

When Edelgard awoke, she was clearly in an infirmary. Her eyes searched her surroundings, finding a sleeping Claude at her bedside. She stretched her limbs, immediately noticing that she already felt as though she had more energy. Her shifting must have been enough to wake the king beside her, as he was blinking sleepily at her. 

"Heh. I don't know who needed the rest more, me or you," he chuckled, leaning his elbows on her bed as his eyes searched hers. "Kidding. Mostly. Do you know where we are?" 

She was fairly certain that they were back in the infirmary of the monastery, but... why? "Why are we back _here_? I-- they cannot see me."

Claude lay his hand on her leg, in an attempt to calm her. "You still need to take it easy. Manuela gave you fluid and protein, but you have a full recovery ahead. She said something about you having a nasty infection."

Edelgard couldn't believe this. She was back in Fodlan. Being taken care of by her former teacher and ex-partner. Lilac hues gazed down at the hand that was on her leg before meeting the king's eyes once again. A bitter laugh seeped through her lips. There was only so much that Manuela could do for her. She would probably be dead by the end of the year. But... Claude didn't know that. Neither did her professor. "You should have left me there, Claude. I-- I don't deserve this."

"No one deserves to die all alone. _No one_." The grip on her leg tightened just a bit, "the war is long over, El. You have to forgive yourself."

She felt her eyes well with tears, hissing softly as she turned her head at the mention of her nickname. "Could you forgive yourself for causing so much violence?" She slowly turned her head back to look at Claude. There were tears spilling down her face now. 

A soft frown tugged at Claude's lips as he regarded her sullen form. The hand that was on her leg found her scarred hand, entwining their fingers together. And his other reached up to her face, brushing her tears away. He could feel her flinch at first, but she ended up leaning into his touch. "I... I can't say for sure. But what I can say is that I'm glad that I found you. _I'm_ here for you, no matter if anyone else is or not." Edelgard was now the outsider that Claude always felt like. And he would be damned if he would leave her to battle it on her own. Not again. 

"Do not say such foolish things," she spoke again, refusing to meet his eyes. Her cheeks were turning pink, the first real color on Edelgard's face in quite some time. 

"Guess I'm just a fool. Wouldn't be the first time," he murmured to her, fixing her with an easy grin now. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her temple. It was too easy to get back into old habits. She fit too perfectly in his arms. Her hand felt so right in his. Many years ago, he wanted to show her his home back in Almyra. Wanted her to meet his parents. He was so sure of everything about her. It hurt having to walk away from her. Especially because he never truly got to tell her how he really felt. 

As the sound of footsteps were approaching, the two house leaders promptly separated, almost as if they were reverting back to their school days, not wanting to get caught by the adults. Edelgard kept her eyes on Claude, though. Did he really mean all of this? Where would she go? She had so many questions, it made her head spin. The only thing that kept her grounded was the thought of Claude being there. She reached out, taking his hand back in her own.

Manuela could say what she wanted. Right now, Edelgard just needed the comfort his touch brought her. 


End file.
